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考研英语阅读理解标准90篇+提高30篇Unit-6

考研英语阅读理解标准90篇+提高30篇Unit-6
考研英语阅读理解标准90篇+提高30篇Unit-6

Unit 6

Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes proud.

博学使人谦逊,无知使人骄傲。

P art A

Directions:Read the following texts. Answer the questions blow each text by choosing [A],[B],[C] or [D].

Text 1

Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days, or in sadness about friends who are dead. One’s thoughts must be directed to the future, and to things about which there is something to be done. This is not always easy; one’s own past is a gradually increasing weight.

The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigor from its vitality. When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives, and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden to them, unless they are unusually callous. I do not mean that one should be without interest in them, but one’s interest should be contemplative and, if possible, philanthropic, but not unduly emotional.

I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an essential part of education.

Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. Y oung men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought of that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river—small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who in old age can see his life in this way will not suffer from the fear of death. I should wish to

die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.

1. The author suggests that the old people should

[A] forget those “old good days”.

[B] focus their attention on the things they can possibly do.

[C] keep themselves away from the life of the young.

[D] be emotional when helping the young.

2. Who may lead a happy life in their old age?

[A] Those who have wisdom and experience.

[B] Those who have strong interests in various activities.

[C] Those who enjoy the company of the children and grandchildren.

[D] Those who are capable of strong impersonal interests.

3. What is implied in the third paragraph?

[A] Educated young people must have made many mistakes.

[B] The old should encourage their children to make mistakes.

[C] The wisdom of the old man help the youth to avoid some mistakes.

[D] The experience of the old man is a great help to their impersonal interests.

4. By comparing the individual human existence to a river, the author wants to tell us

[A] how the old can conquer their fear of death.

[B] the best way for the individual to live his life.

[C] how to acquire strong impersonal interests.

[D] what the individual existence is like.

5. Which of the following may be an equivalent to the expression“the banks” (Line 9, Para. 4)?

[A] Fear of death. [B] Walls of the ego.

[C] Individual human existence. [D] Personal interests.

Text 2

Many publications made private inquiries before presidential election, generally by means of questionnaires sent to subscribers and by telephone surveys. The principle common to all these inquiries was that they depended on quantity rather than quality; little effort was made to reach representatives of all segments of the population. Still, the erroneous belief persisted that the greater the number of questionnaires, the more accurate the results would be. The record was held by the American Monthly Literary Digest, which sent out millions of postcards with short and pointed questions before each election, and received many hundreds of thousands of replies. In fact, in 1932, the Literary Digest’s forecast was off by only 1 percent.

In view of such striking achievements, it seemed rather impertinent for the young American journalist, George Gallup, to claim that large numbers were irrelevant, and that equally accurate or better predictions could be made with a small but carefully selected sample of the population and a small team of skilled interviewers.

In 1936, Gallup convinced thirty-five newspaper editors that his system was much cheaper than the customary mass inquiries and that it could provide surprisingly accurate predictions. The editors finally agreed, on condition that if Gallup’s predictions were less accurate than those obtained by the tried method of the Literary Digest, he would have to refund the entire cost of the

investigation. Although the Literary Digest broke its own record by obtaining two million replies to its electoral postcards that year, its prediction was wrong by 19 percent, whereas Gallup’s was off by less than 1 percent.

Suddenly Gallup’s name was on everyone’s lips, not only was he the prophet of the moment, but it was generally conceded that he had founded a new and most important scientific method of prediction. He was showered with money and commissions, and the Gallup Poll became a generic term for public opinion polls.

Gallup usually samples his subjects according to six factors: state, size of community, age, sex, income, and political affiliation.

Only when the composition of the electorate has been accurately determined can the purely arithmetical question—how many people in each bracket must be interviewed—be solved. Once this is done, laws of probability take over, and the more people interviewed, the more exact the estimates will be. However, above a certain maximum number of interviews, the accuracy increases by no more than a fractional percentage—and where errors of up to 2 percent are permissible, a few thousand questionnaires will accurately reflect the opinions of the total United States electorate.

Gallup’s method of sampling the electorate was successful. Before Gallup, political predictions were no more than shots in the dark, and it is as a result of his achievement that today we can make truly scientific forecasts in this difficult field.

6. In the author’s opinion, the common principle held in the pre-election poll was

[A] successful because it took all sections of the population into consideration.

[B] successful because the publications sent out numerous questionnaires.

[C] unsuccessful because it didn’t take the composition of the electorate into consideration.

[D] unsuccessful because it put emphasis on quality instead of quantity.

7. Which of the following is true about the Literary Digest and its forecast?

[A] It believed that more questionnaires may ensure more accurate results.

[B] It held the record in sending out the electoral postcards with redundant questions.

[C] Its forecast in 1932 turned out to be a failure.

[D] Its prediction in 1936 was wrong by 1 percent.

8. Gallup became a household name overnight because

[A] his performance in 1936 pre-election poll was excellent.

[B] he was the prophet of the moment.

[C] he founded a new scientific method of prediction.

[D] he was the founder of the Gallup Poll.

9. What can be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6?

[A] Gallup focused more on quantity than quality.

[B] Gallup Poll was based on sociological rather than arithmetical calculations.

[C] Gallup determined the number of the interviewers from the beginning.

[D] There is not a maximum number of interviewers in Gallup Poll.

10. The phrase “shots in the dark” in the last paragraph means

[A] adventures. [B] dangers.

[C] wild guesses. [D] successful attempts.

Text 3

How many people really suffer as a result of labor market problems? This is one of the most critical yet contentious social policy questions. In many ways, our social statistics exaggerate the degree of hardship. Unemployment does not have the same dire consequences today as it did in the 1930s when most of the unemployed were primary breadwinners, when income and earnings were usually much closer to the margin of subsistence, and when there were no countervailing social programs for those failing in the labor market. Increasing affluence, the rise of families with more than one wage earner, the growing predominance of secondary earners among the unemployed, and improved social welfare protection have unquestionably mitigated the consequences of joblessness.

Earnings and income data also overstate the dimensions of hardship. Among the millions with hourly earnings at or below the minimum wage level, the overwhelming majority are from multiple earner, relatively affluent families.

Most of those counted by the poverty statistics are elderly or handicapped or have family responsibilities which keep them out of the labor force, so the poverty statistics are by no means an accurate indicator of labor market pathologies. Y et there are also many ways our social statistics underestimate the degree of labor-market-related hardship. The unemployment counts exclude the millions of fully employed workers whose wages are so low that their families remain in poverty. Low wages and repeated or prolonged unemployment frequently interact to undermine the capacity for self-support.

Since the number experiencing joblessness at some time during the year is several times the number unemployed in any month, those who suffer as a result of forced idleness can equal or exceed average annual unemployment, even though only a minority of the jobless in any month really suffer. For every person counted in the monthly unemployment tallies, there is another working part-time because of the inability to find fulltime work, or else outside the labor force but wanting a job. Finally, income transfers in our country have always focused on the elderly, disabled, and dependent, neglecting the needs of the working poor, so that the dramatic expansion of cash transfers does not necessarily mean that those failing in the labor market are adequately protected.

As a result of such contradictory evidence, it is uncertain whether those suffering seriously as a result of joblessness are in thousands or tens of millions, and, hence, whether high levels of joblessness can be tolerated or must be countered by job creation and economic stimulus. There is only one area of agreement in this debate that the existing poverty, employment, and earnings statistics are inadequate for one of their primary applications, measuring the consequences of labor market problems.

11. Which factor is used in comparing the situation in the 1930s and the present situation?

[A] Whether the unemployed is one of the wage-earners in the family.

[B] Whether the family can live comfortably without any income from working.

[C] Whether the social welfare system is good enough for help.

[D] Whether the unemployed are willing to work or not.

12. It can be inferred from the text that

[A] the employed lead a better life than the unemployed.

[B] part-time workers always have lower wages than those with a full-time job.

[C] a majority of the unemployed are not really harmed by unemployment.

[D] the employed are reluctant to help those jobless people.

13. The expression “income transfers” (Line 6, Para.4) most probably means

[A] the getting of money from the rich to help those in difficulty.

[B] the evasion of taxes by those who need help for others.

[C] the exemption of taxes for people who are poor.

[D] the collecting of charity money for the poor.

14. According to the text, which of the following is true?

[A] The unemployment situation of today is as serious as that of the 1930s.

[B] The low-income workers benefit much from income transfers.

[C] People disagree on the consequences of high unemployment.

[D] The earnings statistics is of no use.

15. The text intends to tell us

[A] the causes of unemployment and statistical instruments used for estimating such problems.

[B] joblessness and creation of jobs to stimulate the economy and solve unemployment problems.

[C] the best tool for measuring the labor-market hardship and its application in the labor-market.

[D] Social statistics’ failure in giving a neat picture of hardship caused by unemployment.

Text 4

“History is written by the victors.” This famous phrase reverberates throughout the halls of history, constantly reminding us to take all that we learn with a grain of salt, knowing that the information provided for our dissemination was provided, shaped and influenced by those left to hold the pen that recorded it. In that respect, one of the worst crimes against history is the revision of it, the altering of the record of the past so as to reflect the viewpoint of a biased group who stand to benefit from the altered version.

By revising the lens by which history is judged, valuable information is lost, to the detriment of both students of the field as well as the awareness that comes from experience. Without an accurately recorded account to serve as a guiding light, nations and societies are left to stumble their way about their affairs, ignorant of what has and hasn’t worked before, and unaware of what past events shaped and determined their present situation. Such dismal situations emerge from simple pride, as well as the desire of the revisionists to depict themselves in a better light to posterity or to cover up an embarrassing legacy, no matter the cost to the future.

Recent attempts by nations involved in the second World War to minimize or erase altogether certain shameful incidents from their history textbooks has been met with international outrage and protest, and rightly so. By allowing future generations to forget or never even learn about how their ancestors stumbled on the path to progress, the experiences of those who suffered as a result of those mistakes are trivialized and made to be in vain. Also, a false sense of national identity emerges, inconsistent and inaccurate in its formation. Both are heinous results for both nationals of that particular nation as well as those of the international community, whose stories intertwined to form the larger picture.

When a single string in the tapestry of world history is unraveled by revision, the entire piece becomes a weaker one, subject to additional modification at the whim of those who would like to use history as a tool for their own purposes, even if it means fundamentally changing it. This outcome must be avoided at all costs, firstly by not allowing a precedent to be established that

makes it acceptable, even in a single case, to commit the revision. Otherwise, humans as a race will fall prey to yet another oft-quoted phrase: “History, if forgotten, is doomed to be repeated.”

16. What does the first sentence of the text imply?

[A] All historical accounts are invariably written by the winners.

[B] Powerful people will often record their experience by themselves.

[C] Losers have little or no say in the documentation of their struggle.

[D] Winners have the moral obligation to accurately record events.

17. The author views the revision of history as

[A] a good thing in some exceptional situations.

[B] generally harmful when done so to favor one side.

[C] always motivated by the desire to portray the reviser in a better light.

[D] rendering the revised history useless for the purpose of analysis.

18. Which of the following is true of historical revision?

[A] Revision of World War II events has proven that such actions are right

[B] Such revision results in an undeserved sense of national pride.

[C] Revising history has little effects beyond the borders of any one country.

[D] Historical revision has great impact on future generations.

19. By “When…, …a weaker one”(Line 1-2, Para. 4), the author means that

[A] history is an intertwined series of events coming together to form a larger picture.

[B] a loss of reliability in any single segment of history makes the entire historical record suspect.

[C] once one piece of history is revised, the whole world will become weak.

[D] if the integrity of the historical record is breached, it can soon be fully recovered.

20. The text intends to tell us that

[A] revising history must be avoided in all situations at all costs.

[B] the revision of history leads to vital lessons.

[C] if revision of history goes on, the meaning behind the revised events will lose.

[D] historical revision is an international problem.

Part B

Directions: The following paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For Questions 21-25,you are required to reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent article by choosing from the list [A]—[G] to fill in each numbered box. The first and the last paragraphs have been placed for you in boxes.

[A] In science, Charles Darwin was a radical, a thinker who forced sudden change in the way that

people viewed the world. But Social Darwinism was a theory for people who were “conservative”, who want as little change as possible in the established order. In America the defenders of American private enterprise used Social Darwinism to give their system the respectability of a system supposedly based on scientific truth.

[B] The doctrine of Social Darwinism also justified the existence of poverty and slums. According

to the doctrine, slum conditions were natural for the “unfit”, who, by lack of thrifty and industrious habits, had not survived the economic struggle. Any attempt by government to relieve poverty meant an attempt to defy natural law. The doctrine was also used to justify “big” business. As John D. Rockefeller once told his Sunday school class: “The growth of a

large business is merely survival of the fittest. This is not an evil tendency in business. It is merely the working out of a law of nature and a law of God.”

[C] As great wealth and power were acquired by American business leaders, these ruthless

businessmen and responsible men alike felt the need to defend their methods and justify the continued expansion of business. Two social theories provided a philosophy that allowed business leaders to justify their practices. These theories were laissez-faire economics and Social Darwinism.

[D] Social Darwinists applied Darwin’s thoughts to modern life. If the “survival of the fittest”

was the rule of nature, it must be the rule of economic life as well, they argued. Men and women must be allowed to compete in the marketplace so that the strong would survive and the weak would die out. Government should not interfere with this “healthy” and “natural”

struggle.

[E] The economic philosophy of laissez-faire economics (from the French words meaning “allow

to do”) had been developed first by Adam Smith in 1776 as an attack upon the restrictions of the old mercantilist empires of Europe. According to laissez-faire economic philosophy, however, the government should not meddle in business or personal matters beyond what was necessary to maintain law and order and to protect life and property. It was believed that a laissez-faire government would benefit a nation by providing steady economic growth and the best possible use of resources. The hard-working citizen would also benefit. Since people believed that poverty was caused by idleness and wastefulness, the industrious and thrifty person would accumulate wealth. Thus, under a laissez-faire economy, industrial leaders could do as they pleased—the government would not set any restrictions on their behavior.

Laissez-faire was a policy of noninterference by the government.

[F] American Social Darwinists declared that the American economy, as it existed, was governed

by a natural aristocracy, based on wealth. The wealthy were those who had risen to the top in a struggle for profits that rewarded the strong and eliminated the weak. The country, therefore, could best be served by the economic independence of this natural aristocracy. Any governmental attempt to interfere with the situation could only slow down economic progress.

[G] American businessmen found an additional theory to defend their system after the Civil War.

At that time, theories of the great English biologist Charles Darwin became popular in America. Darwin’s study of the evolution, or development, of modern forms of animal and plant life was adapted to social and economic life by Herbert Spencer, another Englishman.

Spencer’s theory of Social Darwinism gave American industrialists an important new defense.

Order

C →21. →22. →23. →24. →25. → B

Part C

Directions:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese.

The crisis of youth that has swept the world has affected countries with different political systems, the highly industrialized countries as well as the developing nations of the so-called Third World. 26)Depending on the ideologies and conceptions of their leaders, this problem is

approached differently and given more or less importance.

In certain countries, youth’s unrest is a passing phenomenon that threatens neither the structure of society nor its basic institutions. 27)In others, it is expressed through violence, challenges the whole Establishment and its institutions or at least certain practices and fundamental principles that govern the bring up and education of the young.

28)Y outh’s radical dem ands, their anxiety about the future and the fact that they are not yet integrated into the social pattern have focused attention, consciously or unconsciously, on the social and cultural problems and contradictions of our time.

Y outh’s critical attitude may appear abstract, violent, irrational, immature, or even negative and lacking in perspective, but it forces adults to revise their habits and ways which they would otherwise not have questioned.

For years, the industrially advanced countries have talked of the adaptation of youth to society. Sociologists and psychologists have dealt with the problem of “juvenile delinquency”.

29)We appear to be witnessing today a revolt of young people who refuse to adapt to our society, who call their parents’ attitude “senile delinquency”, who condemn adult society and believe that they possess new values.

I recall the violent though somewhat localized reactions of youth during the 1950s in the USA and Europe, particularly in Sweden. This violence, portrayed in the James Dean Film, “Rebel Without a Cause”, reflected the attitude of many young people at the time. It showed teenagers of a technological society where boredom, monotony and indifference engendered aggressiveness expressed through physical violence.

Since then, there has been an important change. V iolence is no longer just physical. It also derives from other factors: wars, social injustices, racial discrimination, old institutions. In fact, youth’s horror of any kind of armed conflict or war is now a fairly general phenomenon.The world’s youth find it difficult to accept that after World War II and after the nations set up a world organization to keep peace, wars and killing should still be possible. Do not all countries constantly proclaim their desire for peace?

30)For though it is true that the United Nations has rendered invaluable service to the cause of peace and international understanding, the uncompromising attitude of youth cannot forgive the use of force by any nation. That is why youth feels a certain skepticism about the pacifist declarations of international organizations and States; the skepticism can even go so far as the use of the word hypocrisy.

做题点拨与全文翻译

Part A

T ext 1

语境词汇

1.undue a.过度的;过分的

2.cling to依附;依靠

3.vitality n.活力

4.callous a.麻木不仁的

5.contemplative a.沉思的,深思熟虑的

6.philanthropic a.慈善的

7.abject a.可鄙的

8.ignoble a.不光彩的,不高尚的

9.bit by bit 一点一点地

10.ego n.自我,自己

11.recede v.变模糊;后退

难句突破

1.It is [in this sphere] that long experience is really fruitful, and it is [in this sphere] that the wisdom (born of experience) can be exercised [without being oppressive].

【分析】强调句。本句为由and连接的两个强调句;两句中被强调部分均为状语in this sphere;in this sphere这里指前一句的impersonal interests;born of experience为wisdom的后置定语。【译文】只有在这一范围内,长期的经验才能真正发挥作用;只有在这一范围内,源于经验的智慧才能够得以实践,并且不受压抑。

2.(The best) way (to overcome it) is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, [until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life].

【分析】复合句。本句的主干结构为The best way...is to ...;to make ...impersonal动词不定式短语作表语;until bit by bit...universal life是由until引导的状语从句;其中包含and引导的两个并列句;overcome的宾语it指代上文提到过的对于死亡的恐惧。

【译文】克服对于死亡的恐惧的最佳办法是逐渐扩大自己的兴趣范围,并且使之大众化,直到自我的围墙逐渐消失,个人生活逐渐融入大众生活之中。

3.I should wish to die [while still at work], [knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do and content in the thought {that what was possible has been done}].

【分析】复合句。while still at work为状语从句的省略形式;knowing that ...no longer do为现在分词短语作伴随状语;content in the thought...been done为形容词短语作状语,此处的content是形容词;that what ... been done为thought的同位语从句。

【译文】知道其他人会继续我未尽的事业,想到自己已经做了可能做的事情,我心满意足,我会愿意在工作当中死去。

本文是一篇匹配型文章,讨论了如何度过晚年生活的问题。第一段和第二段作者指出从心理学角度讲老年阶段应警惕两种危险。一种是过度沉湎于过去之中;另一种是依附年轻人,试图从他们的生命力当中汲取活力;第三段作者认为,那些具有浓厚的大众兴趣、参与适当活动的老年人最容易获得幸福的晚年生活;第四段讨论了如何克服对死亡的恐惧。

T ext 2

语境词汇

1.questionnaire n.(作统计或调查用的)问卷,征求意见表

2.subscriber n.订户

3.erroneous a.错误的,不正确的

4.impertinent a.不礼貌的

5.on condition (that) 如果

6.refund v.偿付;退还n.退款;偿还金额

7.concede v.承认

8.affiliation n.联系,从属关系

9.electorate n.选民

10.arithmetical a.数学的

11.take over 起作用,接管

难句突破

1.[In view of such striking achievements], it seemed rather impertinent [for the young American journalist], {George Gallup}, to claim that large numbers were irrelevant, and that equally accurate or better predictions could be made with a small but carefully selected sample of the population and a small team of skilled interviewers.

【分析】复合句。本句的主干结构为...it seemed...impertinent...to claim that...and that...;in view of表示“鉴于;考虑到”;it为形式主语,真正的主语是不定式结构to claim...skilled interviewers;其中包含两个由that引导的宾语从句;a small but...population和a small team of skilled interviewers为并列结构作介词with的宾语。

【译文】鉴于这样巨大的成功,当年轻的美国记者乔治·盖勒普宣布调查的准确性与参与调查的被访者人数无关,精心选取少量的调查对象、由富有经验的调查人员组成的调查小组能够做出同样精确甚至更准确的调查时,他的观点似乎无足轻重。

2.However, above a certain maximum number of interviews, the accuracy increases [by no more than a fractional percentage]—and [where errors of up to 2 percent are permissible], (a few thousand) questionnaires will[accurately] reflect the opinions (of the total United States electorate).

【分析】本句是由and引导的并列句。句子主干为...the accuracy increases...and...a few thousand questionnaires will...reflect the opinions...;no more than表示“只是”;where引导状语从句。【译文】然而,在受访者人数超过某一最高值之后,精确性增加的幅度就非常小了,当错误率被允许在2%以内时,几千份问卷就能够精确地反映全美国选民的意愿。

本文是一篇匹配型文章,介绍了以前的调查方式后,主要介绍了盖勒普的科学的民意调查方法。第一段指出总统选举前,许多新闻机构所做的私人民意调查的方式及其缺点;第二段到第四段介绍了盖勒普将他提出的新方法付诸实施并取得成功的过程,盖勒普也因此成名;最后一段强调了盖勒普民意调查方法是真正的科学预测。

T ext 3

语境词汇

1.contentious a.有争议的

2.dire a.可怕的

3.subsistence n.生存;生计

4.countervailing a.补偿的

5.predominance n.(数量等的)优越

6.mitigate v.缓解

7.tally n.记录

8.counter v.对抗;还击;n.柜台

9.stimulus n.促进(因素);刺激(物)

难句突破

1.[Since the number experiencing joblessness at some time during the year is several times the number unemployed in any month], those (who suffer as a result of forced idleness) can equal or exceed average annual unemployment, [even though only a minority of the jobless in any month really suffer].

【分析】复合句。主句是those...can equal or exceed average annual unemployment;since引导的是原因状语从句;even though引导的是让步状语从句。

【译文】尽管每个月的失业人群中只有一小部分人的生活受到影响,但是由于一年中某个时期实际经受失业痛苦的人数是任何一个月的官方统计失业数字的几倍,所以,遭受强迫性失业的人数有可能等于或超过年统计平均失业人数。

2.Finally, income transfers[in our country] have always focused on the elderly, disabled, and dependent, [neglecting the needs of the working poor], [so that the dramatic expansion of cash transfers does not necessarily mean that those failing in the labor market are adequately protected].

【分析】复合句。主句是income transfers...have always focused on the...,其中neglecting the needs of the working poor是现在分词短语作伴随状语;so that引导的是结果状语从句,其中that those...protected是状语从句中的宾语从句;failing in the labor market是现在分词短语作定语,修饰those。

【译文】最后,我们国家的收入转移制度从来都是针对于老年人、残疾人和不能自立者,而忽略了有工作的穷人的需要,所以大幅度地扩大现金转移并不一定意味着在劳动力市场上力不从心的人都得到了适当的保护。

3.[As a result of such contradictory evidence], it is uncertain whether those suffering seriously as

a result of joblessness are in thousands or tens of millions, and, hence, whether high levels of joblessness can be tolerated or must be countered by jo

b creation and economi

c stimulus.

【分析】复合句。主句是it is uncertain,其中it是形式主语,真正的主语是后面的两个whether 引导的主语从句,这两个主语从句在语法上是并列关系,但在语义上有因果关系。

【译文】鉴于这些互相冲突的事实,很难确定真正经受着失业的严重后果的人到底是几千还是几千万,因此也就无法确定是应该坐视这种高比例的失业现象,还是创造工作机会、刺激经济活力以缓解就业压力。

本文是一篇观点论证型文章,讨论了社会统计数字对评估劳动力市场上失业问题严重性的作用。第一段到第四段提出问题并论证了社会统计数字如何夸大了失业问题的严重性,同时又如何低估了不充分就业给人们带来的痛苦;最后一段总结说统计数据不能充分有效地说明目前的状况。

T ext 4

语境词汇

1.reverberate v.回响

2.take sth. with a grain of salt 对某事有保留、持怀疑态度

3.dissemination n.散播,传播

4.to the detriment of sb./sth. 对某人/某事物有害

5.posterity n.子孙

6.trivialize v.使琐碎,平凡化

7.heinous a.可憎的

8.intertwine v.缠绕在一起

9.tapestry n.织锦

10.unravel v.拆开

11.whim n.突然产生的念头,一闪而过的念头

12.precedent n.先例;惯例

难句突破

1.(This famous) phrase reverberates [throughout the halls of history], [constantly reminding us to take all (that we learn) with a grain of salt, knowing that the information for our dissemination was provided, shaped and influenced by those left to hold the pen (that recorded it)].

【分析】复合句。主句主语This phrase指前一句中“History is written by the victors”这一句话;constantly reminding us...that recorded it为现在分词短语作状语;take with a grain of salt 表示“对…持怀疑态度;有所保留”。

【译文】这一名言在历史的纪念厅里回荡,不断提醒我们不能完全相信我们所学到的一切,要知道供我们传播的信息是那些专门提笔记录历史的人提供、塑造,并受他们左右的。

2.(Such dismal) situations emerge from simple pride, as well as the desire of the revisionists to depict themselves in a better light to posterity or to cover up an embarrassing legacy, [no matter the cost to the future].

【分析】简单句。主语为such dismal situations,谓语是emerge from。as well as连接两个并列名词短语作from的宾语。不定式to depict ... to posterity和to cover up ... legacy是名词desire 的两个后置定语;no matter ...短语在句中作状语。

【译文】这种可怕的局面纯粹来源于骄傲,同样也来源于修改者希望向后代更好地描述自己或掩盖令人难堪的历史事件的需要,却全然不顾会给未来带来多大的损失。

3.[When a single string in the tapestry of world history is unraveled by revision], (the entire) piece becomes (a weaker) one, [subject to additional modification at the whim of those (who would like to use history as a tool for their own purposes), even if it means fundamentally changing it].

【分析】复合句。本句的主干结构为... the entire piece becomes a weaker one...;when引导时间状语从句;subject to...是形容词短语作状语;who引导的定语从句修饰those;even if引导让步状语从句。

【译文】当世界历史这一幅织锦中某一根丝线被拆开修改时,整幅作品就会黯然失色,很容易被那些喜欢把历史作为达到自己目的的工具的人任意篡改,这意味着彻底改变历史。

解析与译文

本文针对篡改历史的做法进行了批判。第一段由“历史是由胜利者书写的”这一名言提醒人们正确看待历史记录并指出篡改历史的行为罪大恶极,实际上,操纵改动历史的人是想要为自己得到好处。第二段指出篡改历史的危害性及原因;第三段举例论证了篡改历史对年轻一代的负面影响,同时会形成错误的名族同一感,而且篡改历史对于涉及到的国家以及国际社会的成员都有影响;第四段对全文进行了总结,并指出一定要不惜一切代价避免历史被篡改,否则便应了那句话:历史如果被遗忘,便注定会重演。

Part B

语境词汇

1.doctrine n.信条,教条

2.defy vt.(公然)违抗,藐视;挑,激

3.justify vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护

4. laissez-faire n.放任主义政策a.放任主义的

5. mercantilist n.重商主义

6.meddle vi.干涉,干预

7.thrifty a.节俭的

8.aristocracy n. 贵族

难句突破

1. [According to laissez-faire economic philosophy], [however], the government should not meddle in business or personal matters (beyond what was necessary to maintain law and order and to protect life and property).

【分析】复合句。介词短语beyond…作句子宾语的定语,该定语结构中又包含一个what引导的从句作beyond的宾语;to maintain…和to protect…作目的状语。

【译文】但是,根据放任主义的经济哲学,政府除了维护法律和秩序以及保护生命财产安全之外,不应干涉商业和私人事物

2. Darwin’s study (of the evolution, or development, of modern forms of animal and plant life) was adapted to social and economic life by Herbert Spencer, {another Englishman}.

【分析】简单句。句中的of the evolution…or…和of modern forms…作主语的定语;another

Englishman作Herbert Spencer的同位语。

【译文】另一个英国人赫伯特·斯宾塞把达尔文关于动植物现代形式的进化和发展的研究运用到了社会和经济生活中来。

本文是一篇“信息传播型”论述文。主要论述了支持美国商业发展的两个理论。第一段开篇点题:两个商业理论让美国的商业领袖证明他们的商业实践是合理的,这两个理论就是放任主义经济和社会达尔文主义;第二段作者论述了放任主义经济对美国商界的意义;第三至七段作者论述了社会达尔文主义对美国商界的意义。

Part C

语境词汇

1.ideology n.意识形态

2.juvenile delinquency 少年犯罪

3.senile a.老年的,高龄的

4.monotony n.单调,无聊

5.discrimination n.歧视;辨别,鉴别

6.render v.给予,提供;致使,造成

7.uncompromising a.不妥协的,不让步的

8.hypocrisy n.伪善

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